Machine for cutting cord-wood.



B. O. WOOSTER.

MACHINE r011 CUTTING 001w woon.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 17, 1911.

Patented Dec.29,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS B. 0. WOOSTER. MACHINE FOR CUTTING 001w WOOD.

41 R m 3 8 ,E E NO N 2 MQ M F Dm. 0 4 m t2 0 n TV, 8 58 MM 0 u n u M D ME L H *llull N m T A 0 m P P A wW/ESSES a a. z; W

HE NORRIS PETERS cu. PHOm-LITH Z, WASHINGTON. D. C

BURTON ORLANDO WOOS'IEB, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING CORD-WOOD.

Application filed March 17, 1911.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURTON O. Woosrnn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara, State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines forCutting Cord-\Vood, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in wood sawing machines, and consists incertain novel constructions and combinations of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of the characterspecified, especially adapted for sawing cord wood into stove lengths,wherein the operation of sawing and delivering the lengths is automatic,requiring only the feeding of the sticks of wood to the machine.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side View of the improvement, with partsin section; and Fig. 2 is a plan view.

The machine comprises a pair of laterally spaced parallel base bars 1,each of which is provided with a downwardly extending substantiallyV-shaped bend 3 intermediate its ends. A standard 4 extends upwardlyfrom the bottom of each bend, and a horizontal bar 5 extends forwardlyfrom the top of each standard. Each bar 5 is braced against the adjacentstandard and the adjacent base bar 1 by means of a brace 6. Thestandards are connected at their upper ends by an angle plate 7 arrangedin the angle between the standards and the bars 5, and a second angleplate 8 connects the bars 5 at the end of the brace 6. A wedge block 9is arranged between the angle plate and the brace. The braces are alsoof angle material and the base bars are I-bars.

A sectional bearing 10 is provided at the front end of each bar 5, and ashaft 11 is journaled in the bearings. An upright 12 is arranged at thefront end of each base bar, and each upright is provided with asectional bearing 13. A shaft 14 is journaled in the bearings, and adisk 15 hexagonal in cross section is secured to the shaft near each endthereof. A strip is secured to each face of each disk, the strip beingbent to form a stop on each face of the disk. The strip is secured toeach face of the disk near the front edge of the face by nails or screws18 to form the inclined side 20 of the stop, and is then bent inwardlyto form the side 19 of the stop, the said side being radial PatentedDec. 29, 1914.

Serial No. 615,045.

to the disk. The shaft, disks and stops are a feeding device for thesticks of cord wood, the said sticks being laid on the vertical sides 19of the stops and the said stops hold the stick firmly against the sawingdevice to be described.

A shaft 22 is journaled in bearings 23 secured to the under sides of theadjacent bars 5, and the one end of the shaft extends beyond the frameand is provided with a pulley 24 for connection by a belt to a suitablesource of power. A plurality of circular saws 25 are secured on theshaft inside the frame, and the saws are spaced on the shaft to cut thesticks into proper billets or lengths for the stove.

A platform 26 is held on the base bars 1, and the platform extendsbeyond the frame at each side, and each of the extensions 27 is providedwith a flange or guard 28 at its outer edge. The central portion of theplatform is cut away at 29 to permit the passage of the disks and stops,and the extensions 27 incline inwardly at their rear ends to the frame,the guards or flanges 28 each having an angular portion 30 following theedge of the inclined portions. The inclined portions of the extensionscatch the billets when the sticks have been cut and guide the billets toa delivering mechanismto be described.

A sectional bearing 31 is connected with each standard 4 near its lowerend, and a shaft 32 is journaled in the bearings. A roller 33 is securedto the shaft. A bar 3A is journaled at one end on the shaft near eachend of the roller, and the opposite end of each bar is provided with abearing 35. A shaft 36 is journaled in the bearings, and a roller 37 issecured to the shaft.

An endless belt or apron 38 is supported on the rollers 33 and 37, andangle plates 39 are arranged transversely of the belt at spacedintervals, and arms 40 are secured to the plates and extend outwardlyfrom the belt. The platform 26 is inclined from front to rear so thatthe billets, as they fall from the feeding device, move down toward theforward and lower end of the elevator, formed by the rollers and theapron, and are engaged by the arms 40 and carried upward and rearward bythe apron. The elevator is supported by a hanger consisting of rods 41pivoted at one end to eyes A2 on the ends of a cross bar 43 beneath thebars 34 and connected at their other end to a cross bar 44. The bar 44is provided with an eye 45 at its center, and a chain 47 is connected atone end with the eye and at the other with the angle plate 7intermediate its ends.

The sticks 21 are held on the stops by means of a flexible member 49, achain in the present instance, having one end connected to a rod 50,extending between the standards 4 and having the other end connectedwith the lower end of a lever 51. The lever 51 has a coil spring 52connected with its upper end, one end of the spring engaging a hook 53on the lever and the other end a hook 54 on a rod 55 connected with arod 56 extending between the bars 5. The spring is of sulficientstrength to hold the chain 49 taut, and the lower end of the lever 51extends low enough to bring the chain at approximately the lowest partof the saws. When the feeding device carries a stick upwardly toward thesaws, the chains engage the stick and hold the said stick against thestops so that they will not be displaced by the action of the saws.Should, however, the saw meet with an obstruction, the sticks may yieldto prevent damage. The spring permits the chain to yield, but-not enoughto permit the stick to be displaced. It will be evident that a greaternumber of chains may be used, if desired. The sticks are fed to thefeeding device from a platform 57 having an upwardly inclined apron orextension 58 provided with slots 59 for permitting the passage of thestops. The apron or extension is provided at one side with a flange orgage plate 60 which correctly positions the sticks to be cut. The flange60 is spaced from the adjacent saw the same distance that the saws arespaced apart, so that when a stick is placed with one of its ends incontact with the flange 60, three billets of equal length will beformed, provided that the stick is of a length three times the distancebetween the saws. The saws are spaced preferably sixteen inches apart,and the flange 60 is sixteen inches from the adjacent saw. Wood is as arule forty-eight inches in length, so that with a stick of that length,three billets will be formed, each sixteen inches long. It will be notedthat at one end each of the said bars 75 is provided with an angular lugfitting against the portion 19 of the strips, and the other end of eachof the said bars 75 is doubled over upon the bar in spaced relation tofit against the portion 20 of the adjacent stop. A hood 61 is providedat each side of the frame, between the flange 30 and the elevator formoving the billets inwardly into engagement with the elevator.

The shaft 32 at the lower end of the elevator is extended outside of theframe and is provided with a pulley 62 and with a sprocket wheel 63. Theshaft 14 of the roller 15 is also provided with a sprocket wheel 64 anda chain 65 connects the wheels 63 and 64. A belt from any suitablesource of power may be connected with the pulley for drivingtheelevator, and the elevator drives the feed roller. 7

It will be evident that the pulley 62 might be connected with the shaft22 so that all of the parts would move together. Or the elevator may beoperated from the feeding device, the latter being operated manually bypushing the sticks toward the saw.

In operation, the sticks are placed on the disks against'the stops bymoving them up the inclined extension 58. As the shaft 14 rotates thestops pass up through the slot or opening 59, lifting a stick, andcarrying it against the saws. The chains 49 hold the sticks in place,and as the billets are cut they pass down the platform 26 and aredeflected onto the elevator, which delivers them at the rear of themachine and into a vehicle, if desired.

The platform 26 rests at its upper end on the uprights 12, and is jarredor agitated by means of radial pins on the shaft 32, which engage thelower end of the platform, and lift the same and drop it onto theinclined sides of the bends 3. The lower end of the platform or hopperis slotted as shown at 7 3, to permit the passage of the arms 40 as theypass around the roller 33 on the shaft 32. That portion 71 of thematerial of the hopper between the slots and on the outer sides thereofis bent downwardly,

to form guides for the arms as they pass around the said roller.

The bars 5 are connected at their front ends by a cross bar 78, and theplatform or hopper is pivoted at 79 tothe standard 12. Coil springs 74connect the lower end of the hopper to the side bars 1, the said springsacting to hold the platform in place and return it to proper positionwhen it is agitated by means of the radial pins 70 before mentioned. Itwill be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the outer ends of theslots 73 are flaring or enlarged as shown at 77 to permit the easyentrance of the arms.

The shaft or mandrel upon which the saws are mounted is turned down toreceive the saws and shoulders are provided between the turned downportions and the main portions against which the saws abut. That portionof the mandrel between the pulley and the frame is of larger size thanthe other portion for this reason. When the saws become so worn thattheydo not cut through the stick of wood entirely, the .bars 75 shown at the7 a frame, spaced co-axial saws journaled transversely of the frame, afeeding device comprising a shaft, radial stops arranged in alinementlongitudinally of the shaft for supporting the sticks and presentingthem to the saws, and means for yieldingly engaging the sticks andpressing them toward the stops, said means comprising a chain connectedwith the frame and arranged transverse to the sticks and in position forengagement thereby when lifted by the stops toward the saws, a springinterposed between one end of the chain and the frame, and means fordelivering the billets from the frame.

2. In a machine of the character specified, a frame, spaced co-axialsaws journaled transversely of the frame, a feeding device comprising ashaft, radial stops arranged in alinement longitudinally of the shaftfor supporting the sticks and presenting them to the saws, and means foryieldingly engaging the sticks and pressing them toward the stops, saidmeans comprising a chain connected with the frame and arrangedtransverse to the sticks and in position for engagement thereby whenlifted by the stops toward the saws, and a spring interposed between oneend of the chain and the frame.

BURTON ORLANDO WOOSTER.

Witnesses:

F. H. BLOOMINGDALE, EDNA V. COGKRELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

